Gas-producer.



E, RATHBUN. GAS RODZKBR.` APPLICATION FILED rBB.5.'191o.

Patented Nov. '7, 1911.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 1.

WMM-moco EDWABD RTHBUN, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

GAS-PRODUCER.

Specification of Letters atent.

retenir-@arme a, rail,

Application led February 5, 1910. Serial No. 542,178.

To all whom 'it may concern: v

Be it known that I, EDWARD RATHBUN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of hio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Gras-Producers, ot which 4the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gas producers, and, particularly, in gas producers of the down drait type. Much trouble. is experienced in cleaningr this type ot producer, which, nevertheless, is much used because ol its high etliciency and the fact that bituminous coal may he used in, it without the presence of excessive proportions of tar and the like in the resulting gas. As at present constructed, these down draft. producers commonly become clogged in time with cinder and slag. And despite numerous expediente employed for loosening:

up the tire, such producers usually must be shut down at frequent intervals and allowed to cool oli", after which men must go into the producer and chip out the accumulated cinder and slag. This cleaning of the producer is at once diliicult, extremely disagreeable, and a somewhat dangerous operation,` and is objectionable, not only tor that reason, but also because the necessity of shutting down the producer for a considerable length of time frequently necessitates the A installation ot a, duplicate producer, so that one producer may be working while the other is shut down. According to my invention l obviate these diliculties by torming the producer in two parts, arranged to be separated at a parting line located about on a level with the grate or fuel-support of the producer, the upper section of the producer' being arranged to be elevated bodily away from the lower section, and being of upwardly tapering torni inside, and

metal-surfaced and positively cooled so as.

to prevent sticking of the fuel to the wall. By lifting the upper part of the producer the grate is exposed so that it may he swept, clean, und any'clinker adjacent the sides of the produc-er will tall away therefrom, owing` to the taper of said walls.

My invention consists, therefore, `in a producer comprising upperiand lower sections, and means for raising the upper section away trom the lower section to. expose the grate; also in various other features llieinatter described and particularly pointed out 1n the clauns.

The objects ot `my invention are to fac1l1- .tate the cleaning'of gas producers, particularly of producers of the down dratt type, and to make it possible-to operate the produce-rs more nearly continuouslyv than is at present practicable; also to make the producer simpleV and easy to operate.

'l will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. illustratino, more or less diagrammatically, two embodiments of my invention, and will then point out the novel ffeatures in claims.

ln drawings: Figure l shows a central vertical section of my improved producer, with the two parts together in readiness for operation, and Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the upper part ofthe -producer raised from the lower part, andI also showing` alternative means to that shown in Fig. 1, for raising' and lowering the producer.

In the drawings, 1 designates the base of the producer and 2 the upper portion or shell of the producer, said shell having within it the fuel chamber 3 and ybeing pr0 vided, as is customary, with a jacket 4 through which cooling water or ,the like may be circulated, These parts are of substantially ordinary construction except that they are arranged to part from each other at the line namely, at about the level oi the 'grate or fuel-support 6, such `grate or fuel-support being a part of the lower section or base l, ot the producer. 'llo distribute the weight of the upper portion of the producer upon this base l, and also to form ay suitable hearth upon the top oit such lower section or base l, l provide said lower section or base with a hearth plate i', which in practice may be of metal. At the top,.- the producer is provided with the usual charginxgY opening` 8, arranged to be closed by a suitable door i). ln the base l there is the usual ash pit l0, and the usual delivery pipe 1l for the .gas produced, also a blast pipe l2 through which gas or steam under pressure may be introduced into the fuel from below to break up the fuel, the operation of the producer being at. such times reversed, for which purpose the upper part ot the pro ducer is provided with the usual delivery pi'pe 1.3 for the gas produced; which delivery pipe," hwever, is normally olOSed.

. This delivery pipe may be connected, *Y through a down take 14:, with the lower denection between pipes land 1l when raising 'the upper portion of the producer. However, in lieu' of this construction, any other suitable construction' for the samepu rpose may -be employed, or a joint may be broken when; elevating the upper portion of the producer.

' For raising the upper portion of the producer I have show n in Fig. l, rack bars 16 secured to the shell of the producer and engaged by pinions 17 on suitable shafts 18, which shafts may be driven in any suitable mannertand I have shown these shafts 18 carried by supports 19 arrangement shown in Fig. 2 I have shown l the upper portion of the producer arranged matic cylinders 20, the piston rods to be elevated by means of hydraulic or pneu l o which-'are connected to the upper portion ofthe producer. l have not shown means for supporting these hydraulic cylinders 20,

`but it will be understood that they may be supported inany v'ordinary or suitable manner.

In operating this producer, it will be op.

erated in general as down draft producers are generally operated, charging opening 8 serving as a draft inlet; the fuel bed being poked from the top from time to time, when necessary, to cause the fuel to descend, and also if necessary, being poked from time to time through the side door 22, (if the producer be provided with such a side door,

such a door being less important, however,

in a producer constructed as herein described than in` producers the;V upper portions of which are not `arranged to be elevated). vAnd as is common in the operation of these producers, from time to time the direction of draft through theproducer may be reversed, by closing the charging opening 8, closing the valve4 23 in the lower dischar e pipe 11,

vadmitting gas or steam through t el pipe 12,

and opening the valve 24 in the upper discharge pipe 13. -When it becomes necessary to clean the fire thoroughly, the supply of `air to the producer i's discontinued temporarily andthe discharge valves are closed, the upper portion of. the producervis elevated, and the fire cleaned as describedv earlier in this specification; after which the upper portion of the reducer. is` lowered and the fire rebuilt. I necessary the joint between the upper and lower portions of the producer may be luted in any customer way. Such luting will not interferel wit the separation of the'two parts of the pro` ducer.

By preference, the-producer has metal In the alternative .;lle vertically, and each having a dra walls, and lining the producer with re brick, as in ordinary practice, is avoided by providing the water jacket 4, separated from'the fuel space, within the converter, by metal walls only, so`that there may be vadequate cooling of these walls by the water circulated through the jacket. In this way, the expense and bulk of a fire brick lining are avoided, and the producer is madel more compact, and sticking of the fuel to the side of the producer is avoided.

What'l claim is:

11A gas producer comprising upper .and lower sections, separable vertically, the upper section comprising al fuel chamber, and Ithe lower section comprising a fuel sup ort, each suchsection provided with a drafit) inlet and a gas-discharge connection.

2. A gas producer comprising upp'e'r and lower sections separable vertically, the upper sect-ion comprising a fuel chamber and the lower section comprising a fuel support, said sections separable at about the level of said fuel support, the upper section provided with a draftinlet and a gas-discharge connection, the lower section having, beneath the fuel support, an ash pit provided with a draft inlet andgas-discharge con'- nection. I V

3. A gas producer comprising upper and lower sections, the upper section comprising a fuel chamber, and the lower section comprising a fuel support, said sections, se ara'- 111- let and a gas-discharge connection, which, in the case 'of the lower section, are' locatedv beneath safid fuel-support; the lower section having at its tpp a plate adapted to receive the lowerendgzof the u per section. Y 4. A gas producertofthe own-draft type .comprising upper and lower sections sepa# rablevertically one from the other, the upper section comprising a fuel chamber and provided with a draft inlet, the lower section comprising a'fuel support andan ash pit beneath the same and' means for drawing olf gas from said ash pit, said sections separable relatively' at about the levelof' said` fuel support.

5. A gas producer of the down-draft type comprising upper land lower sections separable vertically'one, from the other, the upper section comprising a fuel chamber and a charging opening, the lower section com risinga fuel support andan ash' pit beneat the same, and a valved pipe connected with saidv ash pit for drawing off gas therefrom and another pipe connected ,with the upper portion of said upper section of theproducer, for

drawing. off gas, such upper 1pc havinga yleldlng connection with said ower gas p1 e t 1e ladapted. to permit vertical separation -o one section of the producer trom the other.

6. A gas producer com rising upper and lower sections, separable ertically, the upf 130 per section coi'nprising e fuel chamber sind e cooling jacket surrounding Seial chamber. and the lower section comprising i fuel support, @zich suoli section provided willi n draft inlet and a gas-discharge connection.

7. A gas producer comprising upper and lower secriors, separable vertically, the upper section comprising in e single unicabry structure :Le inner wall, inclosing e. .fuel chamber, an outer well, and a cooling jacket between :said walls, the lower section comprisingf a. fuel support, each suoli section provided with e. draf* inlet und a gas-clioclmrge connection.

8. A. gas producer comprising upper rofl lower sections, separable vertically, the up per Section comprising in a` single imitar); structure an inner wall', inclosing e fuel clian'iber, an outer wall, and a cooling jaolie; between said walls. the lower Section com prising a. fuel support, and means lor ing and lowering said upper se such section provided with a. drei@ a gas-discharge coiiieclion.

S). A gus producer comprising opper r lrom the upper portion oi. suol lion, und e telescopic connection such conduilis.

lu esimony whereof he.1 specification, in the irireeeiiceoi" tw ing witnesses. 

